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Financial Questions
How much will orthodontic treatment cost?
It is impossible to give an exact cost for treatment until Dr. Kristo has actually examined the patient and made a diagnosis. The actual cost of treatment depends on several factors, including the severity of the patient’s problem and the treatment approach selected. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind the lifetime value that orthodontics provides. You will be able to thoroughly discuss fees and payment options before any treatment begins.
What financing options are available?
We have many financing options available and will be happy to review them with you. Treatment fees may be paid with an initial down payment and monthly installments over the course of active treatment. Bookkeeping discounts are offered for fees paid in full at the beginning of treatment. You may also contact Capital One Healthcare Finance to arrange finance agreements with more flexible payment variations.
How does my insurance work?
Many dental insurance plans now include orthodontic benefits. Typically, orthodontic coverage is paid with an initial payment followed by quarterly payments until the lifetime maximum benefit has been reached. We file insurance claims on the patient’s behalf and are happy to work with you to obtain the maximum benefits allowable.
How does my flex plan work with orthodontic payments?
We understand the benefit of flexible spending accounts and use of pre-tax dollars. Our finance and insurance coordinators will help you determine the proper timeline for starting treatment and obtaining your maximum flex benefit. We will work with you in setting up initial down payment and monthly/quarterly payments to coordinate with your flexible spending program. Be sure to ask about more flexible spending information when discussing treatment fees with our Treatment Coordinator!
How can I make a payment?
- Mail check or credit card information to our Eau Claire office.
- Call our Eau Claire office to have a credit card payment processed.
- Stop by our office during regular business hours.
Appointment Questions
How often will I have appointments?
Appointments are scheduled according to each individual patient’s needs as determined by Dr. Kristo. Typically, patients in active treatment are seen every 8-10 weeks depending on stage of treatment and the procedure they are due for.
How long will each appointment take?
Most initial appointments for placing orthodontic appliances are quite lengthy, averaging about an hour. However, after your braces have been placed your routine visits will vary between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on what particular procedures need to be done. You will always be informed if your next appointment will be a lengthy visit.
Can I have all of my appointments after school?
We understand your concerns about your child missing school for orthodontic treatment. In order to have the greatest number of children miss the least amount of school throughout the treatment process, and to be fair to all patients and parents, we schedule lengthy appointments, such as appliance placement, repair and removal, before 2:30 p.m. when school is in session. This leaves the bulk of after school hours available for all routine appliance adjustment visits, which accounts for about 90 percent of active treatment appointments. We also reference all area school calendars and try very hard to meet our patients’ scheduling needs as much as possible.
Can I drop my child off for an appointment?
We are very understanding of busy schedules and parents’ desires to run errands while their child is at our office. Pagers are available for your convenience.
What is an ‘emergency appointment’ and how are those handled?
If you have an orthodontic emergency that cannot wait until our next regular business day, you are encouraged to call our emergency line, or visit our Emergency Info section for more detailed instructions.
The doctor said to come back in eight weeks but the appointment coordinator couldn’t get me in until the 10th week. How will that affect my treatment?
The average window for routine appointment is actually eight to twelve weeks. Your appliances continue working beyond the eight week timeframe, so going out an extract two to three weeks will not cause problems or prolong your treatment, provided you maintain good oral hygiene and continue wearing your elastics and/or headgear as instructed.
Something came up and I need to reschedule my appointment. How do I do that?
Illnesses and changes in schedules happen! Just call our office during regular business hours and our appointment coordinators will work with you to schedule another appointment. You may also call and leave a message in our main message center requesting we return your call on our next business day. A new option is to email us at appointmentdesk@kristoorthodontics.com to request an appointment change. Again, we will call you back during our next business day to reschedule your appointment.
How long is “too long” for a rescheduled appointment?
We realize that class schedules as well as after-school activities sometimes makes it difficult in rescheduling appointments; however we typically are able to reschedule appointments within one to two weeks of your original appointment, though available openings will of course be more limited during this timeframe.
Appointment Request
Thank you for your interest in our services. Please fill out the information below and one of our team members will contact you to schedule an appointment time. We look forward to seeing you soon.
